Article about: It appears that you have found yourself a WWI camo helmet also. Those broad black lines indicate deviders for different colors. Oxacalic acid in powder form mixed with water to a 10% solutio
This is a first for me, every time that I have checked craigslist for German stuff, the items have always been junk or overpriced .The other night I did a quick check before I called it a day, and this helmet popped up, and for 50 bucks I jumped on it.
It is a WW1German M16/M17 shell. There is surface rust and what I think is the remains of black camo lines. The inside (left side is marked W 66 or 68( I think that it is 68).
I have two questions: first, is there anything which I could apply to the helmet to deal with the rust and maybe enhance the camo lines (before you guys jump on me, I know that oil or WD40 is a no-no). Secondly is the maker mark W 66 or 68 rare, most of the ones which I have seen was marked ET
Georg , nice helmet shell at a nice price, a bargain !....what you have is a Model 1916 helmet, the M17 refers to the type of liner fitted (M17 steel liner band over the M16's leather liner band), you can tell it is a large size, a size '66 or 8' , by looking at the vent lugs, which are one piece, smaller sizes had stepped lugs, this was to make up the size for fitment of the 'Stirnpanzer' or armoured front plate which only came in one size, large. The markings 'W 66 or 8' are for the maker ' Hermann Weissenberger & Co, of Stuttgart-Cannstatt. It is not a common maker, but not rare. I have a M16 from the same maker size 66, shown below. It would appear this company only produced size '66' and '68' helmets. As to the restoration of your helmet i will let those more qualified than me, give you tips.
Georg, first of all a nice little bargain and a nice lid to boot, next, if you want to see whats under the rust, try wiping the whole helmet with a damp cloth inside and out, then use a hairdryer to fully remove all dampness, this should remove dirt thats ground in with the rust and will also remove some surface rust, you might find that the camo lines become clearer and the colour of the helmet will change slightly but it should leave you with a cleaner looking shell, do not try any abrasives as this will remove what colour remains if any and also the camo lines, now that it is in a dry environment the rust shouldnt cause too much trouble but you can check it now and then
I cleaned the helmet with warm water and dried it good, I think that it came out pretty good. One of my collector friends suggested that I should try spraying it with Endust; he said that it would not hurt the paint and help to control the rust. Have anyone tried Endust on rusty helmets?
Well it certainly looks a lot better than before, never heard of the product your friend recomends, but there are a number of rust preventitives on the market but some act as a sealer, some harden the rust and others will cure rust but most will alter the overall colour, before using anything try the product out on something else that has similar rust and also same colour if poss, then if your happy with it try it on a small area in the dome of the helmet first, then make your decision. I must admit i like it as it is, it has that look about it, character and been there
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